Mainliners
Mainliners provides a range of services to help people overcome the problems associated with drug addiction and blood-borne viruses. David Badcock, Chief Executive of Mainliners, London talks about his experience of being Pilotlit.
What does the charity do?
The charity aims to improve the quality of life for vulnerable people by changing and preventing risk taking behaviour. Mainliners currently employs 18 members of staff and a similar number of volunteers. The charity has been operating for 21 years.
Why and how did it start?
Mainliners was established in 1989 by four injecting drug users who had contracted HIV. At this time, there were support services for people who had contracted HIV as a sexually transmitted disease but it was virtually unknown that you could contract it by sharing injecting equipment. The group of four formed a support group and it grew in size and reputation to an organisation that now has services in London, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Why did the charity decide to start working with Pilotlight?
When I joined the organisation in 2005 it had lost its way. Changes in the drug sector and the advance in knowledge of blood borne viruses meant that our services had become disparate and disjointed. We were also suffering from severe financial difficulties and were required to make significant changes to the structure of the organisation. We recognised that we needed to plan our strategic direction and we recognised that we needed help to do this.
What did your work with Pilotlight involve?
The Charities Aid Foundation recommended Pilotlight and having looked into the model that you provide, it was very quickly decided that we’d enlist your help. We were allocated four experts in strategic planning from the commercial sector, and met on a monthly basis for approximately 18 months. A good working relationship was quickly established and before long we were able to focus on exactly what was required to bring the charity up to speed. We entered the ‘Pilotlight process’ seeking to clarify our mission and to develop a five-year strategy. This is exactly what we achieved. We now have a clear focus on what Mainliners does, why we’re unique, and the direction in which we are going. We have achieved other tangible outcomes in the form of a brand new logo and website, a performance measurement annual plan, a reconfigured governance structure, and an ongoing relationship with some of our Pilotlighters.
How has the charity benefited from working with Pilotlight?
As a result of the service that Pilotlight provided, I can confidently say that Mainliners is a better, more focused organisation, and has a direct strategic plan to be able to reach more people, and help save more lives.
How has this work impacted on your clients?
Here are two quotes from our clients about the service we are now able to provide thanks to working with Pilotlight.
“Before, I would sometimes be out working on the streets for four or five days without getting any sleep . . . now I’m getting to see the proper world . . . I can see what’s going on around me . . . I’m hoping to do some counselling and voluntary work for projects like Mainliners who have helped me.
“When I was first diagnosed with Hepatitis C it was really frightening, I thought I was going to die. Through coming along to Mainliners I got good information and was able to talk to others, this helped me to move on, and I’m now feeling more positive about living with Hep C.
What would you say to other charities thinking about working with Pilotlight?
Mainliners is immensely proud to have become a beneficiary of Pilotlight. It is an extremely effective model the ability and enthusiasm of the Pilotlighters can be channelled into the most productive method of volunteering. Charities can be absolutely certain that the people assigned to them have the skills and an inherent understanding of what organisations such as ours need to develop. I would thoroughly recommend Pilotlight.
What have you learned personally or professionally from working with Pilotlight?
Not having undertaken a strategic review process before, working with Pilotlight has enabled me to gain a great deal of personal development. Working alongside our Pilotlighters, I have had an unparalleled opportunity to discuss my ideas and listen to the advice of successful leaders in the corporate sector. I will carry this experience through the rest of my career.
